The influence of normal stress and sliding velocity on the frictional behaviour of calcite at room temperature. Insights from laboratory experiments and microstructural observations

The presence of calcite in and near faults, as the dominant material, cement, or vein fill, indicates that the mechanical behaviour of carbonate-dominated material likely plays an important role in shallow- and mid-crustal faulting. To better understand the behaviour of calcite, under loading conditions relevant to earthquake nucleation, we sheared powdered gouge of Carrara Marble, >98 per cent CaCO3, at constant normal stresses between 1 and 100 MPa under water-saturated conditions at room temperature. We performed slide-hold-slide tests, 1–3000 s, to measure the amount of static frictional strengthening and creep relaxation, and velocity-stepping tests, 0.1–1000 µm s–1, to evaluate frictional stability. We observe that the rates of frictional strengthening and creep relaxation decrease with increasing normal stress and diverge as shear velocity is increased from 1 to 3000 µm s–1 during slide-hold-slide experiments. We also observe complex frictional stability behaviour that depends on both normal stress and shearing velocity. At normal stresses less than 20 MPa, we observe predominantly velocity-neutral friction behaviour. Above 20 MPa, we observe strong velocity-strengthening frictional behaviour at low velocities, which then evolves towards velocity-weakening friction behaviour at high velocities. Microstructural analyses of recovered samples highlight a variety of deformation mechanisms including grain size reduction and localization, folding of calcite grains and fluid-assisted diffusion mass transfer processes promoting the development of calcite nanograins in the highly deformed portions of the experimental fault. Our combined analyses indicate that calcite fault gouge transitions from brittle to semi-brittle behaviour at high normal stress and slow sliding velocities. This transition has important implications for earthquake nucleation and propagation on faults in carbonate-dominated lithologies

Preliminary Abundance Analysis of Galactic Bulge Main Sequence, Subgiant, and Giant Branch Stars Observed During Microlensing with Keck/HIRES

We present an abundance analysis of six main sequence turnoff, subgiant, and giant branch stars toward the Galactic bulge that were observed with Keck/HIRES during microlensing events. This is an early look at the first detailed chemical analysis of main sequence stars in the Galactic bulge. Lensing events allow the effective aperture of Keck to be increased beyond its current dimensions; although, some events still stretched its spectroscopic capabilities. Future large telescopes with high resolution and high throughput spectrometers will allow the study of abundances in distant stellar populations and in less evolved stars with greater ease.Comment: 8 pages including 2 figures. To appear in SPIE proceedings on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation. Uses spie.cl

The Theory Behind TheoryMine

Abstract. We describe the technology behind the TheoryMine novelty gift company, which sells the rights to name novel mathematical theorems. A tower of four computer systems is used to generate recursive theories, then to speculate conjectures in those theories and then to prove these conjectures. All stages of the process are entirely automatic. The process guarantees large numbers of sound, novel theorems of some intrinsic merit.

Sudden Stops: Determinants and Output Effects in the First Era of Globalization, 1880-1913

Using a sample of 20 emerging countries from 1880 to 1913, we study the determinants and output effects of sudden stops in capital inflows during an era of intensified globalization. We find that higher levels of original sin (hard currency debt to total debt) and large current account deficits associated with reliance on foreign capital greatly increased the likelihood of experiencing a sudden stop. Trade openness and stronger commitment to the gold standard had the opposite effect. These results are robust for many sudden stop definitions used in the literature. Finally, we use a treatment effects model to show that after controlling for endogeneity sudden stops have a strong negative association with growth in per capita output. We also show that banking, currency and debt crises that were preceded by a sudden stop have much greater negative relation with growth than in the absence of a sudden stop.

Swift Pointing and the Association Between Gamma-Ray Bursts and Gravitational-Wave Bursts

The currently accepted model for gamma-ray burst phenomena involves the violent formation of a rapidly rotating solar mass black hole. Gravitational waves should be associated with the black-hole formation, and their detection would permit this model to be tested, the black hole progenitor (e.g., coalescing binary or collapsing stellar core) identified, and the origin of the gamma rays (within the expanding relativistic fireball or at the point of impact on the interstellar medium) located. Even upper limits on the gravitational-wave strength associated with gamma-ray bursts could constrain the gamma-ray burst model. To do any of these requires joint observations of gamma-ray burst events with gravitational and gamma-ray detectors. Here we examine how the quality of an upper limit on the gravitational-wave strength associated with gamma-ray burst observations depends on the relative orientation of the gamma-ray-burst and gravitational-wave detectors, and apply our results to the particular case of the Swift Burst-Alert Telescope (BAT) and the LIGO gravitational-wave detectors. A result of this investigation is a science-based ``figure of merit'' that can be used, together with other mission constraints, to optimize the pointing of the Swift telescope for the detection of gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts.Comment: aastex, 14 pages, 2 figure

The Expected Duration of Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Impulsive Hydrodynamic Models

Depending upon the various models and assumptions, the existing literature on Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) mentions that the gross theoretical value of the duration of the burst in the hydrodynamical models is tau~r^2/(eta^2 c), where r is the radius at which the blastwave associated with the fireball (FB) becomes radiative and sufficiently strong. Here eta = E/Mc^2, c is the speed of light, E is initial lab frame energy of the FB, and M is the baryonic mass of the same (Rees and Meszaros 1992). However, within the same basic framework, some authors (like Katz and Piran) have given tau ~ r^2 /(eta c). We intend to remove this confusion by considering this problem at a level deeper than what has been considered so far. Our analysis shows that none of the previously quoted expressions are exactly correct and in case the FB is produced impulsively and the radiative processes responsible for the generation of the GRB are sufficiently fast, its expected duration would be tau ~ar^2/(eta^2 c), where a~O(10^1). We further discuss the probable change, if any, of this expression, in case the FB propagates in an anisotropic fashion. We also discuss some associated points in the context of the Meszaros and Rees scenario.Comment: 21 pages, LATEX (AAMS4.STY -enclosed), 1 ps. Fig. Accepted in Astrophysical Journa

Radiation from collision-dominated relativistic pair fireballs

It is generally accepted that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are initiated by a relativistic pair fireball, converting its internal energy into kinetic energy of a relativistically moving plasmoid and subsequently into radiation. Here, we investigate the early stages of this evolution, after the pair fireball has become optically thin to gamma-gamma pair production. We show that for a short period of time, ~ 0.1 - a few seconds after the initial explosion, the pair plasmoid evolution might be dominated by collisional processes prior to the formation of a collisionless shock. We simulate these processes during the early pair plasmoid evolution and calculate the expected radiative signatures. We show that the radiation from the collision-dominated pair plasmoid phase results in a short (~ a few ms) flash of thermal soft X-ray emission, followed by a transition phase of < 1 s during which the fireball turns Thomson thin, but its radiation remains dominated by thermal Comptonization, peaking at around E_pk ~ 100 MeV - a few GeV. While the very early thermal emission could be associated with the quasi-thermal radiation signatures found in the very early phases of several bright BATSE GRBs, the predicted subsequent flash of high-energy emission should be easily detectable with the GLAST satellite.Comment: AASTeX, 25 pages, including 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Fireballs Loading and the Blast Wave Model of Gamma Ray Bursts

A simple function for the spectral power $P(\epsilon,t) \equiv \nu L(\nu)$ is proposed to model, with 9 parameters, the spectral and temporal evolution of the observed nonthermal synchrotron power flux from GRBs in the blast wave model. Here $\epsilon = h\nu/$m$_e$c$^2$ is the observed dimensionless photon energy and $t$ is the observing time. Assumptions and an issue of lack of self-consistency are spelled out. The spectra are found to be most sensitive to the baryon loading, expressed in terms of the initial bulk Lorentz factor $\Gamma_0$, and an equipartition term $q$ which is assumed to be constant in time and independent of $\Gamma_0$. Expressions are given for the peak spectral power $P_p(t) = P(\epsilon_p,t)$ at the photon energy $\epsilon = \epsilon_p(t)$ of the spectral power peak. A general rule is that the total fireball particle kinetic energy $E_0 \sim \Pi_0 t_d$, where $t_d \propto \Gamma_0^{-8/3}$ is the deceleration time scale and $\Pi_0 \equiv P(\epsilon_p,t_d) \propto \Gamma_0^{8/3}$ is the maximum measured bolometric power output in radiation, during which it is carried primarily by photons with energy ${\cal E}_0 = \epsilon_p(t_d) \propto q\Gamma_0^4$.Comment: 26 pages, including 4 figures, uses epsf.sty, rotate.sty; submitted to ApJ; revised version with extended introduction, redrawn figures, and correction